Chapter 34: The Focus War

Arsenal and Manchester United, this is the highlight of this round of the Premier League.

4 October 2015, London, Stadium Stadium. Arsenal host the Red Devils Manchester United.

The Emirates Stadium was packed, with all 60,000 seats sold out.

The battle between the fans of both sides began an hour before the start of the game.

Generally speaking, there is a pattern in the Premier League on the spot: the away fans sing louder than the home team fans; The lower stands sang more happily than the upper fans. Speaking of the upper and lower stands, generally speaking, there are upper and lower stadiums, and the lower stands are cheaper than the upper stands, and the home team's die-hard fan zone at the Emirates Stadium, Old Trafford, and Stamford Bridge is almost all behind the goal diagonal line with the away team's fan zone. Season ticket holders in these positions are relative working-class and blue-collar classes. However, the minimum ticket price for this A-level event is also £66.

Arsenal's home ticket prices have always been criticized by Arsenal fans, and almost every year, there are protests against the high home ticket prices.

It's just that the Arsenal board is not too impressed by this, and the ticket price should go up. Arsenal fans had no choice but to accept the most expensive tickets in the Premier League.

Manchester United's travelling supporters chanted "Everyhere e go" (Let's go to the four sides) in an attempt to overpower the Arsenal fans at home.

And the Arsenal fans were not to be outdone, they also used their singing voices to suppress the voices of Manchester United fans with their numbers.

On the commentary bench, Andy Gray got the starting lists of both sides.

"Wayne Rooney didn't start!"

He didn't start first, but first said something that fans on both sides cared about.

Rooney, as the top name in the United Kingdom, was completely beaten into the cold by Carlo Ancelotti this season. In the league, he only got a few substitute appearances and never started.

More crucially, Manchester United did not start with Wayne Rooney, but instead made a strong comeback this season, leaving all other teams behind by a seven-game winning streak and sitting high at the top of the table.

The so-called winning is not terrible, and it is embarrassing to be lacking.

Competitive sports are all about that. If Manchester United's results are up and down, even if Rooney doesn't say anything, the media in England is about to explode. With the England captain gone, the pressure on Carlo Ancelotti is by no means as low as it is now.

Even though Manchester United have been winning, there are still many doubts about Carlo Ancelotti's abandonment of Wayne Rooney.

Even Andy Gray believes that Ancelotti should at least give Rooney a chance to prove himself. After all, Wayne Rooney is the highest-paid player in United's squad.

For the purposes of this game, Arsenal are Wayne Rooney's third favourite opponent, with 11 goals in 25 league appearances, second only to Aston Villa with 13 goals and Newcastle with 12 goals among all opponents. Wayne Rooney's first Premier League goal, the first Premier League goal of the Manchester United era, and the hundredth goal of the Premier League were all scored against Arsenal.

Ahead of the game, the media thought Rooney had a good chance of starting. After all, Manchester United had just played a costly Champions League game, and Wayne Rooney did not play. The match against Arsenal was just three days apart from the last Champions League game. With the Champions League and a strong opponent to follow, Carlo Ancelotti may make a small rotation.

But when Andy Gray got his starting list, he found that Manchester United's starting XI was the same as the starting XI in the last Champions League game!

Wayne Rooney still hasn't been given a chance to start.

Goalkeeper David De Gea started the game, Valencia at right-back, Sandro at left-back, and Hummels and Smalling at centre-back. In midfield, it is still Herrera, Kramer and Fellaini's back three plus Di Maria and Mata.

On the forward line is still Li Qingshan.

'It's the squad that Manchester United have used most often this season. Andy Gray said, "Such a facelift Manchester United has enough defensive hardness, and on the offensive line, they don't have to worry at all, Di Maria, Mata, Li Qingshan's attacking combination, is currently the most scored combination in the Premier League, seven league games, the trident has scored 20 goals, just the number of goals scored by the three of them, can rank third in the Premier League for all teams in the league - second only to Manchester United and Manchester City." ”

"The solid defence brought by the back three, combined with the attacking ability of the three attacking players, is probably the reason why United have been so strong this season. Carlo Ancelotti's Manchester United play is very simple, but effective. Carragher said.

Opposite Carragher, of course, was his old rival Gary Neville.

'On Arsenal's side, the starting goalkeeper was of course Cech, with right wing-back Bellerin, and the centre-back combination of Mertesacker and Gabriel, who was replaced by Koscielny due to a hamstring strain, with left wing-back Monreal. Cazorla and Kircoran were in the middle of the midfield, with Alexis Sanchez on the left and Ramsey on the right, Theo Walcott at the front, and Mesut Ozil in the midfield behind him. ”

"The main central defender is injured, and Arsenal, who are playing at home, may have hidden dangers in the central defender position." Gary Neville added. "Manchester United have a bigger chance of winning than Arsenal in this game."

Judging from past records, Manchester United in recent years can be regarded as Arsenal's nemesis. Although the two teams fought head-to-head more than a decade ago, statistically, Arsenal's biggest nemesis since the Premier League era is Manchester United, with a win rate of only 24% against the Red Devils, the lowest win rate among all the Gunners' Premier League opponents. Arsenal have won just one of their last 13 league games, drawing four and losing eight of their remaining 12 matches. Manchester United are unbeaten in four consecutive games at the Emirates Stadium, winning two and drawing two.

Coupled with the fact that Manchester United have been so strong this season, not many teams are optimistic that Arsenal will be able to make a difference on their home turf before the game.

It is widely believed that Arsenal will be done if they can win a draw at home turf.

……….

Players from both sides streamed out of the tunnel at the Emirates Stadium and the fans began to cheer for the players.

The camera showed him the dugout on the sidelines, and Ancelotti and Arsene Wenger shook hands with each other before returning to their seats.

Before the game, the captains of both sides picked the sides and United won the kick-off.

Li Qingshan stepped on the ball under his feet, and with the referee's whistle and the huge cheers of the fans at the scene, the first meeting between Manchester United and Arsenal this season also began! [.]